In modern means of transport, lightweight materials which, in addition to being low in weight, also have sufficient or high strength are used for a wide range of fixtures, additions and aerodynamic auxiliary faces. Particularly in modern commercial aircraft, numerous entities inside the fuselage are produced using sandwich materials which comprise at least one core layer and one, two or more facings. Examples include the floor of a passenger cabin, a crew rest compartment and storage lockers. In relatively heavily loaded structural components made of lightweight materials in sandwich construction, it is necessary to provide dedicated force introduction points to which the structural components can be fastened in order to make it possible to transmit forces reliably.
The prior art does not provide a sufficiently reliable and simultaneously weight-saving option for introducing concentrated forces into a lightweight honeycomb-core panel, for instance via a screw connection, without providing solid core reinforcement locally at the force introduction point. This reinforcement is often provided by gluing in a solid component made of a composite material or aluminium. Alternatively, smaller forces may be transmitted into a lightweight panel having a honeycomb core, the honeycomb cells of which are filled with a honeycomb core filler.
DE 3 827 279 A1 and EP 0 354 403 B1 disclose a protective wall, configured as a lightweight component, for absorbing loads in a transport cabin of a vehicle, which wall is held on a superstructure of the aircraft fuselage via fittings. The fittings each have a relatively large face which supports the relevant lightweight component.
These known options cannot constitute a preferred solution in the context of uncompromising lightweight construction for lightweight components of this type, since the integration of one or more conventional, solid force introduction components contributes to a significant increase in the weight of the lightweight components. This is also the case for fittings which are connected to struts arranged at an angle to a cabin floor.
Other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.